Colt M45A1 USMC 1911

[asphaltcowboychip]

Looking for information on the USMC M45A1. I see some slides are stamped USMC and others have M45A1 stamped on the slide. Also some come in blue boxes, others come in a pelican case. Any wisdom from Colt gurus?

[SkyHawk]

See this thread especially the posts from Baboosh

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1078595

[HibikiR]

The USMC requested that Colt stop putting "USMC" on the M45A1 (not sure if it just applies to commercial ones or all) so Colt replaced that mark with "M45A1"

Don't know anything about the change in case however.

[RealBarber]

http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=468875

[stormvet]

The fact that Colt is on the brink of bankruptcy means you better get one fast. Who knows what will happen after. They are already obscenely over priced, what will happen if production stops.

[asphaltcowboychip]

Thanks Skyhawk and real barber both good reads.. I made a move on one and it is now in gun jail ...Great feeling trigger ...can't wait to get her home.

[Snoopy47]

It's all about collectability.

Who pays $3000+ for a brand new production 1911 that doesn't even have front strap checkering?

[asphaltcowboychip]

Your right about collectibility, but they're not all just production guns. The higher end ones are from their custom shop.

[SeniorHepe]

Called Colt customer service last year and they told me that Colt M45A1 1911 in blue case are factory mass produced handgun and the Colt M45A1 1911 in a green pelican case are from Colt Custom Shop….BTW if you have prior USN or USMC service (With DD214 or ID) they can sell this direct to you (Special Discounted Price) thru your FFL. Too bad for Californians it's off roster and no more SSE!

[BoJackUSMC]

Didnt usmc gave negative reviews on colt 1911?

[audiophil2]

Looking for information on the USMC M45A1. I see some slides are stamped USMC and others have M45A1 stamped on the slide. Also some come in blue boxes, others come in a pelican case. Any wisdom from Colt gurus?

There were 4 versions.

Original Colt with USMC rollmark. Custom shop with green watertight Pelican case. USMC told Colt to stop using the rollmark.

Lew Horton 1 of 50. These were custom shop guns with the pelican case and USMC rollmark. The most valuable of them all. Sold one for $6000.

Colt with M45A1 roll mark custom shop gun in pelican case.

Colt regular production M45A1 in blue case. Least desirable.

Due to volume I get a lot of limited edition Colts. I just sold one that is not even listed on the web yet and was CA legal. Others like Emilio Zapata's that sell now for over $13k or typical Aztecs and Day of the Dead models I see on a regular basis but they command such a high price I don't advertise them. I just tell my Colt collectors when I have them and they buy without blinking at the price.

[asphaltcowboychip]

Fortunately I got the one from the custom shop. I'm going to have to sell my G43 to help fund it. But this was just one I couldn't pass up.

The lack of front checkering was a slight turn off but I got over it hahaha.

[smittty]

Didnt usmc gave negative reviews on colt 1911?

They had frame failures but apparently they corrected the problem.

The way I see it, you buy these for investment. Put it in your safe with all original papers and packaging and forget about it for 20 years other than oiling it every 6 months to protect it. It will likely triple or quadruple in value.

[asphaltcowboychip]

I'm scared of breaking it down and making a dummy mark. I guess we'll see..anything for oil..or is clp ok

[1911R SSS]

Grease on the rails, and a little oil on every thing else. You have a really bad *** 1911, I should have got one before SSE was gone, and the the one on the market place was a great price but I just bought a M1A last week I want one bad.